A Mere Mortal
by HashtagMC
Summary: While on a quest, Nico meets a mortal young woman who can see through the mist, and somehow, they become friends. Nico's life is at a low at the moment, and he needs any consolation he can get. Somebody catches his eye and interest, but is the son of Hades courageous enough to make a move? OCs. INDEFINITE HIATUS/WILL BE REWRITTEN IN THE DISTANT FUTURE!
1. I Nico

**A/N (author's note):** I have an idea where this story is going, but nothing elaborated yet. This is the first time I write something that centers around OCs, and besides Nico, most of the PJO and HoO characters will only be mentioned. Don't like? Don't read.

I'd be really happy if you'd review, even if it's just a 'thumbs up' or a smiley. It means a lot to me (or to every author, I guess). If you find any mistakes – tell me! Also, to avoid misunderstandings, I changed my spellchecker to British English, and I'll use the British spelling, like 'realisation' instead of 'realization'. And, as you may have noticed: I write 'this is a dialogue, "these are quotation marks inside a dialogue", so don't get confused.'

What else is there to say? Oh, yes. As I promised in the description, here's some more information:

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Main Pairing: Nico/OC

Side Pairings: OC/OC, Percy/Annabeth, Jason/Piper, Leo/Calypso, Hazel/Frank

Summary: While on a quest, Nico meets a mortal young woman who can see through the mist, and somehow, they become friends. Nico's life is at a low at the moment, and he needs any consolation he can get. Somebody catches his eye and interest, but is the son of Hades courageous enough to make a move?

Warnings: None yet, probably a bit of angst and homophobic bullying in later chapters. Nothing inappropriate, adult, or suggestive. Rated T because of the aforementioned, and because there'll be swearing.

As you may have noticed, I did _not_ put a warning for slash there. That's intentionally, because boyxboy is nothing that you should _warn_ of. So, don't feel warned, but let me tell you: Nico falls in love with a guy in this story. Don't like? Don't read. Hate it? Piss off and be ashamed of yourself.

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 **Disclaimer: _Percy Jackson and the Olympians_ and _Heroes of Olympus_ belong to me. I own the plot, and the (plenty of) Original Characters (OCs). The cover art was drawn by me and is my copyright/property.**

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After a last swing of my Stygian Iron sword, the monster dissolved into the usual, yellow dust. Defeating a bunch of _empousai_ wasn't much of a challenge to me. The days when I had to rely on other people to protect me were long gone. There _were_ people I relied on, but I had stopped _needing_ people long ago. Even though there had been no serious threat for seven years now, I had kept training. Today, people considered me a better swordsman than Percy Jackson, who had already set the bar very high by exceeding his tutor, Luke Castellan, a long time ago.

I didn't lower my sword, though. I could still feel somebody nearby. Not a monster, that much was for sure, but no fellow demigod either, and who else would hang out at this factory at night? Unless it was a god, I had no idea.

'Drop your weapon!'

 _Analysis: Female voice. Cold and determined. Used to giving orders. The clicking sound of metal moving on metal. A handgun's safety being released. Heavy footsteps, probably combat boots. Member of a security firm._

Holding my hands away from my body, I slowly turned around. Opposite to me, maybe twelve foot away, stood a young woman, about my age – that would be twenty-one – with short, black hair, wearing the uniform of a well-known security firm. In her hands, she held a pistol, pointed at me. And, Celestial Bronze armour or not, bullets were still deadly. Besides, at the small distance, nothing would keep this officer from shooting me in the head.

'I said _drop your weapon_.' I had no idea what the mist made the guard see – a rifle, a baseball bat, who could tell? – but it was obviously fruitless to negotiate. I had three options. One: Take her out – a few skeletons would do. Two: Leaving – even after fighting a bunch of vampire demons, I had more than enough energy to shadow-travel across New York. Three: Talk – why would I want that.

'I'm not saying this again. I have no idea why you are carrying a sword, but you will drop it _now and here_.' Her fingers tensed, and I knew from experience – military school, remember? That includes combat lessons – that she was about to pull the trigger. Carefully, I bent down and dropped my weapon on the ground. I had no idea why she could see my sword, but that settled the matter: I was going for option three. One and two would serve as a backup plan.

'Um… are you sure this is a sword? Not, dunno – a baseball bat?' I could control the mist very well, and for a moment, the sword turned into a baseball bat, but it turned back into a sword almost immediately. Realization dawned on me. Of course, of all the eight billion mortals on Earth, I had to run into one who could see through the mist. How much were the chances that you'd meet _three_ people with this talent in less then fifteen years?

The guard's eyes narrowed, and the way her hands lifted the gun the slightest bit told me that it would be a dam good idea if I lifted my hands, which I instantly did.

'How – what – how did you do this?' the woman stammered, staring at me and my sword alternating. I decided to take a risk and made a step forward. Immediately, the gun pointed at my head again, and I swallowed visibly.

'Look, I'll explain everything, just – do _not_ freak out and shoot me, okay? I swear on the River Styx that I won't hurt you or run away.' The officer frowned, as if contemplating my words.

Wow. I had to admit, the mortal was good at her job. What unfortunately meant nothing good for me. Instead of letting me pick up my sword again and explain everything, I was tied to a chair opposite to the young woman, the gun dangerously close to her hand, my sword out of reach. Even if I'd shadow-travel a few metres away, it'd take me long enough to recover for her to overpower me again.

'Explain.'

'Your parents or one of them don't happen to be dead?' I asked. Even if I couldn't sense it, she might be a demigod, though it was very unlikely to that she'd survive on her own, but it had happened before.

'I'm the one asking the questions. You're the one answering them.'

Wow, this officer would get along just great with Clarisse. They were definitely on the same page when it came to bullying weaker ones. Even though I usually wasn't said weaker one.

'Fine.' If anything went wrong, I could still dip her in the River Lethe. That wasn't exactly _hurt_ , even though I usually hated to twist my words that way. 'I'm a demigod.' That caused my opponent to snort. 'What, you want to tell me you've run away from the closest Fantasy movie world? Rather the closest asylum.'

I shook my head. 'I'm not trying to tell you I'm the next superman.' I sighed. It would be _much_ easier if I could just show her the introduction film they had showed me at Camp Half-Blood. 'I assume you know the whole Greek myth things, like, Odysseus, the Gods, the mythological monsters, all that stuff?' She nodded. 'Well, they're alive. Mostly. The gods are real, the monsters are, unfortunately, real as well, and so are demigods. Sons of gods and mortals. My father is Hades.' The look on her face clearly said that she was about to call the next police station.

'So, you want to tell me, monsters like, let me think… the _Microdae_ are real?' I shook my head. 'Never heard of them.'

A grin spread across her face. It was the first time that I saw the young woman grin, and she immediately looked a lot friendlier. 'Good, because I just fabricated this one.' She picked up the gun and walked towards where I was sitting. I must have paled, because she waved her hand – the one that didn't hold the gun – in what I supposed was a calming gesture. 'Relax, I'm not gonna kill you.' I heard to metallic sounds and the pressure around my wrists disappeared. 'If you try anything funny, I'll still shoot you.'

As soon as my ankles were free as well, I backed off several steps. 'So, go on' the woman demanded. 'Tell me about these not-so-dead "myths".' And tell her I did. Nothing critical, not like the location of any of the camps, or the names of any of my fellow campers, but I told her about the world of the gods, some monster I'd fought over the years. When I was done talking, the officer frowned, and, to my relief, holstered her gun. 'I know that's not your whole story, but I've heard enough.' That didn't sound very well. 'You've mentioned one word several times – mist. I figure you don't mean normal fog?' I shook my head. 'The mist is the magic curtain that separates our world from the mortal world. Most mortals can't process what they see, so the mist hides it from them. I've once fought a cyclops, and the mortals around me saw a one-eyed beggar trying to beat up a teenager.' I made a pause.

'But you are different. You can see through the mist.'

Her eyes narrowed. 'This sounds very cliché. You know, the prisoner flattering his jailer to have an opportunity to flee. Believe me, I'm not the kind of woman whom you can sleep with and escape afterwards.' Thankfully, she didn't make a move to draw her gun again.

'Don't worry; I'm not into girls anyway.' Woah, had I just told my biggest secret to a complete stranger? But she merely smiled. 'Just wanted to point it out.' I frowned. 'No offence, but aren't you supposed to freak out or something?'

Wow. Who would have thought that this, originally scary, woman could chuckle like that? Me certainly not. 'My best friend is gay, you won't find anyone more tolerate in a ten-miles-radius. You're not out yet?' I slumped into the chair, my body suddenly comprehending what had just happened, increasing my heartbeat beyond belief. 'Nope,' I whispered. 'Only told a handful of people. Used to have a crush on my best friend, but he's got a girlfriend. They know, my sister and my other best friend know, so does my roommate, but besides them, I've never told anybody.'

I felt a warm feeling on my shoulder, and when I looked up, I was surprised to see the young woman smile at me. Her hand resting on my should was what I felt. I had gotten better at socializing during the past years, but I still tensed at the physical contact. I freed myself from her grip and stuttered, 'I, um, don't like to be touched' while blushing. But she just shrugged as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

'By the way, you're free to go' she said, pointing at the door. Carefully, I approached my sword, stopping a few feet away from it and throwing her a questioning glance, asking for her allowance. Not that I needed it, but I didn't want to upset her. She snickered. 'Take it, it's yours.' She scrutinized me. 'It _is_ yours, isn't it?' I nodded. 'I've forged it myself. Stygian Iron, from the River Styx in the—' '—Underworld' she finished my sentence for me. I was already half out of the door when she called me back.

'By the way, my name's Caroline. My friends call me Li.' She gave me a card, which read _Captain Caroline Lewis, BLTPRF Security_ , plus the logo of said security firm, as well as an official address.

'Uh, why do you give this to me, Mrs. Lewis?' I asked. She sighed. 'I think I said, _my friends call me Li_.' It took me a moment to understand the meaning behind her words, and when I did, I frowned. 'You consider me your friend?' Mrs. Lewis, no, Li, sighed, like, _why do I have to deal with this idiot in the first place?_ 'Not yet, but if you ever need somebody to vent to, or just want to hang out or talk – you know where to find me.' She snatched the card out of my hands and scribbled down an address and a phone number. 'Beware, I sleep with the gun under my pillow, so better don't visit unannounced in the middle of the night.'

I frowned. 'You don't even know my name.' Though, I could change that. I pulled a piece of paper from my pocket – dunno where it came from, maybe there's a god or goddess of things-that-are-just-there-when-you-need-them – and scribbled down an address. 'The name's Nico di Angelo. Whatever you send to this address will reach me.'

Li read the words and frowned. 'DOA Studios, LA? Are you kidding me?' I actually chuckled, something I hadn't done in a long time. 'It's the entrance to the underworld.' She nodded. 'Well, then, goodbye Nico di Angelo.' I was already fading into the shadows. 'Goodbye, Li.'

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 **P.S:** To the guest reviewer who asked what _Mircodae_ meant, I just came up with that name. I needed a strange name that sounded like a monster, and the cover of a computer magazine lying next to me on my desk said something about _CPU-Microcode_ , and I transformed the word _Microcode_ into _Mircodae_ , as plural of _Mircodai_ , like in _Empousai_ / _Empousae_.

— Hashtag


	2. II Li

**A/N:** I think I should – and want to – describe the appearance of my original characters a bit more detailed.

The character Ray was inspired by Grover from _The Lightning Thief_ and _The Sea of Monsters_ (ugh – worst adaption of a book I've _ever_ seen). Tall, brown skin, short, slightly curly black hair, always joking and cheerful, but instead of a goatee with a thin beard along the jawline all the way around his face. I imagine he would have brown eyes, darker than Nico's.

Mel is supposed to look intimidating, strong, earrings, bald head, a beard along the jawline as well but less thin than Ray's, broad shoulders, piercing blue-grey eyes, deep bass voice. He'd look as if he was a gang member and would beat up anyone if he wanted to, but would have the kindest personality once you'd get to know him. Quite similar to Frank.

Li would have short cut black hair, with an undercut, like the cliché punk. No piercings, though. I haven't really thought about her eye colour, but I guess something along the lines of blue or grey would suit her as well. She would wear simple, singled-coloured shirts or tanktops, grey or green cargo pants, and probably combat boots. A quite military look, mixing with her job.

Also, Li _really_ dislikes her name (Caroline), that's why she's reduced it to _Li_.

 **Disclaimer: _Percy Jackson and the Olympians_ and _Heroes of Olympus_ are the intellectual property of Rick Riordan. The plot, however, and of course the original characters, are mine.**

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I was lost in thoughts when I walked home this morning. Most people would have characterised Nico di Angelo as a lunatic and called the police. But what he had said made sense. I had always seen things other people hadn't seen, and for a while, when I was younger, my parents had suspected that I'd secretly take drugs or something like that. That had been the moment when I had stopped telling people about the things I saw. They wouldn't believe me if I told them that the person they were talking to was far from human. They didn't want to know that the friendly stray dog they were petting had poisonous spikes on his tail and the shape of a lion. And so I had kept my mouth shut about the things I'd seen. I'd never told anybody, not even my two best friends, whom I told everything that bothered me. But the words of Nico di Angelo had – on condition that he _wasn't_ a lunatic – made sense.

And he was surely impressive. At least six feet tall, muscular, long but well-cut black hair, the slightest hint of a beard at his chin, and dark, brown eyes that could be piercing as well as look vulnerable. Strong arms, good looks, the epitome of handsome. Plus a good choice in fashion. I was sure, if he'd come out, he'd have plenty of men asking him out. He was totally my type, but my heart burnt for another one.

What the hell, I would probably never see him again.

Closing the door of my apartment behind me, I noticed the coats that hung at the coat rack. Apparently, Ray and Mel were already home. I wouldn't have to share my apartment with two other guys, just like I wouldn't have to work at the security firm, work at all, or live in an apartment in New York. My family was, like, the richest family in wherever-the-mansion-they-were-currently-living-in-stood. My father and mother could have paid for all my expenses during my whole lifetime. But that wasn't the life I wanted. There is no such thing as a free lunch, and in my case, the 'price' would be to be the heir to _Christopher Lewis & Partners Enterprises_. And if there was one thing I didn't want, then it was to lead dad's company. He'd much rather have a son anyway. And besides, Ray and Mel were my best friends, and I enjoyed living with them.

'Li! You come just in time for breakfast – or dinner, given that you're probably going to bed afterwards. How's your shift been?' Mel's bass voice sounded through the corridor. 'Boring as always, I guess?' I smirked. 'Actually, no' I responded. 'Somebody had got lost and ended up on the factory's grounds. Poor guy. Guess I scared the living crap outta him, what with the gun and all.' I didn't like lying to my friends, but telling that the guy had been running around with a sword and convinced me that the ancient myths were true… let's just say, bad idea. 'I showed him the way out. Oh, and I gave him my number and address.' Mel didn't respond, he knew about my habit of deciding whether somebody was trustworthy or not within seconds. It was how I had met him and Ray.

Maybe it's time to introduce my friends. So first, there's Mel, full name Melvyn Wilson (don't _ever_ call him Melvyn if you're attached to your limbs). He looks _really_ badass, with a bald head, muscular arms, a beard, and his earrings, but I ensure you, he's the kindest person you'll ever meet. Unless you call him Melvyn. He's working at a book store ( _not_ a _comic_ book store – he isn't the nerd you'd think he is), and he could easily afford an apartment as well, like me or Ray could, but he says he prefers to stay with us. Oh, and maybe I should mention the fact that I'm badly crushing on him.

Then there's Ray, actually Raymond Miller, but he dislikes his surname a lot. He's African American, and he's one of the tallest persons I've ever met, _at least_ seven foot. Although he despises physical training, he's very muscular. I guess it's because he's the cliché gentleman, who insists on carrying old ladies' groceries up the stairs and such stuff. Two years ago, when I met him, he's been badly down, struggling with his feelings and sexuality, but since he's accepted who he is, he shows his true self, always cheerful and jokey. He works as an editor at a big publishing company, and he's usually totally obsessed with the novels he's supervising. At the moment, it's some novel called _Trials of Apollo_ , which is rather funny, since it's about the very same Greek gods and myths which I learned are real today.

While I ate (I must have forgotten to mention that Mel makes the most delicious breakfast you'll never be allowed to enjoy), I celebrated the fact that from next week, the night shifts would be over for another month. I loved them, and I loved being alone at night and having time to think, but it limited the time I got to spend with Mel and Ray to approximately one hour per day, before either I went to bed or they went to work.

I didn't see Nico the next week, or the next month. In fact, I didn't seem him for two and a half months, and I was, like, 97% convinced that I'd never see him again. Hopefully, the guy would find – or had – someone to confide in. I had seen how dealing with confusing feelings could almost break people when I'd met Ray, and I had seen the shock in the guy's eyes when he'd let it slip that he was gay. The idea of crushing on someone taken was familiar to me, but I couldn't imagine how it'd be to be in love with someone who was, like, _forever_ taken since he wasn't attracted to your gender. It had to be even more painful, that much I figured.

I was coming back from work after sunset, and found a sleeping figure on the doorstep. After mistaking the person for a bunch of clothes at first, I found that it was Nico di Angelo. But he had changed since the day I'd caught him sneaking around with a sword. Said sword was still with him, but he had lost weight, and if his face was anything to go by, he'd been crying and was sleep-deprived, what probably explained why he was sleeping on my doorstep. Unsure what to do, I looked at the sleeping young man, contemplating whether or not I should wake him up, when he woke up by himself.

'Ugh' he groaned. 'Never sleep on doorsteps again.' He sounded like he had way too much experience in sleeping on doorsteps. I cleared my throat to alert him of my presence, and he flinched, his hand rushing towards the hilt of his sword, but I caught his arm just in time to prevent him from beheading me. The look in his eyes was neither the cold, determined, nor the vulnerable look he'd sported when I had met him last time. It was the look of a hunted animal, glancing here and there, always aware and on guard.

'Wow. Wouldn't have thought I'd see you again' I said. He nodded absent-mindedly, his gaze still flickering around everywhere, as if he was scanning the area for potential enemies. 'Since you camped at my doorstep, I figure you'd like to come inside?' I asked.

'Now, tell me, what's bothering you?' I demanded as I placed a mug of hot chocolate in front of Nico. 'Mel and Ray should come back in one hour or so, if you'd like to, you can have dinner with us.' I have always been the mother-hen kind of person. How could I _not_ invite him for dinner? I wondered if he had anybody to look out for him.

'Now, spill it, what's wrong?'

Nico shrugged. 'Guess I just needed someone who doesn't look at me like I had a disease or something.' The grimace on his face told me that he was struggling whether he should tell me or not. In the end, the urge to tell seemed to win.

'You see, I got a new roommate a few weeks ago. I got this place where I'm living with a friend of mine, when I'm actually studying instead of running errands for dad, and we got a new roommate. My friend knows, he's got a boyfriend himself, and we were totally happy before this other guy moved in. It wasn't as if we had much of a choice, no one else wanted this guy in their dorm, for a reason. Anyway, since he moved in, he's constantly bullying us, calling us names, spilling all the homophobic crap, and… I just broke, I guess. I snapped at him and ran away before he could do or say anything. And since then, I've just been wandering around for… don't know, a week? Two?'

Before I could remember the fact that he didn't like physical contact, I was patting his back. He didn't seem to mind, or he simply didn't notice it. 'Do you have, like, another place to stay? Last time we met you've mentioned a few best friends…' Nico shook his head. 'I don't really want to bother them with my problems, and besides… some of them don't know… _it_ , and I'm not really ready to tell anyone…' His voice cracked. He looked at me with this brown eyes in his pale face. 'I don't even know why I trust you with this. Never been a people person before.'

'What do you intend to do, then?' I asked. 'I'm pretty sure you wouldn't want to quit studying because of a spoiled brat who can't keep his mouth shut. You could just tell the college about his behaviour and they'd kick him out of your dorm. You don't have to say whether you are gay or not, all that matters is that he's insulting you and your friend.' But Nico shook his head again. 'I couldn't deny it if anybody asked me' he muttered. 'Are you sure you don't want to confide in your friends?' I demanded. No success. 'Too far away from college anyway.'

'Or' I thought out loud, 'you could stay here. We can set up an extra bed for you, and I'm sure Mel and Ray wouldn't mind. You don't have to come out to them, though they certainly wouldn't mind. Ray has, by the way, gone through the same problems as you.' Before I thought about it, I was already planning every detail in my head when Nico's voice interrupted my thoughts.

'You _do_ know that you're virtually offering a stranger to stay at your place for an undetermined time span, without asking the people who live with you, despite the fact that said stranger could turn out to be a gangster or something and murder you in your sleep? Not that I intend to do so, but just seems… naive?'

I shrugged. 'That's me. It's a matter of seconds. If somebody seems to be trustworthy, well, then I trust them. If not, they have little to no chance of ever gaining my trust. Believe me, I have ten years of practice in judging people. Ever since I went to middle school, I had to decide whether people liked _me_ , or if they were after my family's money.' Nico laughed drily. 'So I fall into the "trustworthy"-category? That's a first. Usually, people are scared of me.'

I turned around to scrutinize him. 'Why would people be scared of you? Besides the fact that you really rock the punk-style, with the skull ring and everything.' Nico snorted. 'Son of Hades. Do I need to say more? My father is an outcast on Olympus. People flinch when they see me slip out of the shadows, they flinch when they realise that I'm there. They shiver when they see me raising the dead, and they are scared out of their minds when they see what else I can do. Summon hellhounds. Manipulate dreams. Sense death. They think I bring death, and sometimes, I agree with them. Most of the people important to me died. I'm bad luck.' He laughed that dry laugh again. 'Now you see whom you just invited to stay.'

'Actually, it doesn't change anything.'

I went to find the spare blankets and the manual of how to turn the second couch into a bed, but a firm grip on my wrist held me back.

'I never said I would stay.'

I flinched at the cold undertone in Nico's voice. 'Is that a no?' I asked, turning around to face the – what did he call it? Demigod.

'No. I mean, yes. I mean – ugh! Why are humans so complicated?' He sighed. 'No, it's not a no. Yes, I am staying. If it's not too much trouble for you and if you're really okay with it…' he trailed off.

'Don't worry, it's fine. Now, help me find the spare blankets, would you?'


	3. III Nico

**A/N:** Wow, another chapter. Which means that I am alive, and not abandoning this story. Wohoo!

 **Disclaimer: Not mine.**

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I was lying on the second couch, which Li had miraculously transformed into a bed – the twenty-first century _never_ stopped amazing me – and tried to sleep. Many things went through my mind, but one thought kept pushing itself into my brain. Why did I trust this mortal woman so much? I knew her for, like, two hours. Including last time. Maybe because she seemed to take pretty much _everything_ quite well. I told her (more like let it slip) that I was gay? Her best friend was as well, and she was fine with it. I told her that I had run away from a homophobic prick? Not a single word about responsibility, not a word about standing up like a man or coming out. Nope. Instead, Li seemed to care how I would fix this mess. I really didn't want to think about how she was going to explain this to her friends, and I was determined to find myself an own place as soon as possible, but for one night, maybe a week, maximum, I would stand this.

The light in the kitchen was still on. Li was reading or something like that. I felt guilty for occupying her living room, but she had assured me that it was okay, and that she was used to sitting at the kitchen counter, either with her friends or alone. Eventually, I had given in, though the thought that I had practically _invaded_ her apartment didn't go away.

Before I had went to bed, after dinner (and although she said that her friend was _way_ better at cooking, the dinner had been _really_ delicious), she convinced me to at least call Jason and let him know that I was okay. Will – who now had to deal with our roommate on his own – was probably flipping out after I had run away and disappeared for two weeks. But running had always been my way of coping.

' _Beep. Beep.'_ The only phone at Camp Half-Blood used to belong to Annabeth, but when I had left the camp for high school, and later for college, Jason had insisted on getting one as well so we could stay in touch. He had become _really_ protective after Croatia, seven years ago.

' _Jason Grace, what can I do for you?'_

' _It's me.'_

' _NICO! WHERE ARE YOU? WHAT HAS HAPPENED? WILL IS WORRIED SICK,_ I _AM WORRIED SICK! WHY DID YOU RUN AWAY? WILL AND JAKE HAVE SEARCHED FOR YOU! I HAVE SEARCHED FOR YOU!'_

' _Jay, it's okay. I'm fine. I'm staying at a friend's place. I – I don't think I'll come back this week. Maybe the next week, when I'm better. Tell Will I'm okay, would you?' I made a pause. 'Look, I'm not going to tell you where I am. I need time, Jay. I need time, alone, to deal with this. Don't worry. I'll come back.'_

' _You can't just disappear like that! Well, I guess you can, but we – fine. But… take care of yourself, Neeks. If you need me…'_

' _I know, Jay. I know. You'll be there.'_

The door lock clicked, and although I had been dozing off, I was awake and alarmed instantly. The light got turned on, and in the doorway stood two men, looking at least as bewildered as I was. One of them was African American and the impersonation of _tall_. The other one looked like he'd run away from a low-budget Mafia movie. It was the latter one who spoke up first.

'Uh, Li? Why is there a stranger sleeping on the couch?'

Li stepped into the living room. 'Besides the fact that he isn't sleeping, Mel, he isn't a stranger either.' So the wannabe-gangster was Mel. She had mentioned her friends earlier. 'Nico, these are Mel and Ray. Mel, Ray, this is Nico di Angelo.'

The African American guy, Ray, tilted his head. 'And why exactly is he not-sleeping on the couch?' he asked. From the lack of surprise, I figured that both of them were used to their flatmate's strange behaviour. Did she often bring people home to stay over?

'He's got a little problem with a homophobic roommate that made him feel _really_ down, and I offered him to stay until he got it sorted out.' I flinched at the word 'homophobic', and Mel and Ray didn't fail to notice.

'Homophobic? You mean—'

Now Li flinched. 'Shit, shouldn't have said this.' The apologetic look on her face reminded me of a kicked puppy. 'I'm sorry, Nico. I didn't mean to give you away, it's just, I'm used to talking about this, so—'

'It's okay' I interrupted her. The harm was already done, I might as well finish it. I got up, tried to ignore the fact that I was wearing pyjamas – Li had left to buy some in between, but I had insisted to pay for them – and reached out to shake the men's hands.

'I'm Nico di Angelo. As you've heard,' cue glare at Li, 'I'm, uh, _gay_ , but, I haven't really told many people, in fact, I'm actually pretty scared of doing so, but now that you've heard it, I mean…' I was rambling, and I felt like throwing up, my heart pounding loudly in my chest. I had felt so when I had told Hazel, when I had told Will… it wasn't exactly getting easier.

But the tall guy – Ray, right? – just shook my hand, so did Mel. No sign of the disgust or the disapproval that I had been expecting, in spite of Li's assurances that her friends were fine with it.

'Hey, man, don't beat yourself up over it' Ray said. 'I know what it's like. I mean, _really_ know. I've gone through the same. And believe me, no one of us is going to judge you. You can ask Mel and Li, I was exactly as scared when I met them.' He patted my back. 'You can stay as long as you want. Friends of Li's are friends of mine.' He smiled at me and walked towards the kitchen.

'Sorry for the harsh words' Mel said. Even though he looked pretty intimidating, his deep voice sounded more calming than threatening. 'I hope you can forget that. I should have known Li wouldn't let anyone stay without a reason. And if she trusts you, I trust you.' His lips formed a smile as well. 'Nice to meet you, Nico.'

I could hear the three of them talk in the kitchen, as if they were deciding what to do with me, and, to be honest, it made me feel absolutely shitty. The feeling was somewhere in the middle of _guilt_ , because I'd 'forced' myself into their lives, and _fear_ , because I was pretty sure I wouldn't survive another rejection. I didn't want to run away and be on my own again, but I didn't want to urge them into letting me stay either. My friends had enough problems on their own, what with Jason's whole Pontifex-business, Percy and Annabeth having jobs in New Rome, Leo and Calypso living Hades-knows-where, and Frank and Hazel serving in the Legion. Coach Hedge and Mellie had children to raise – so had Percy and Annabeth, by the way – and Chiron had heroes to train. Will and Jake had each other, and Will had a homophobic roommate to deal with.

That night, I didn't sleep well. Not that that was uncommon, I rarely slept well, and more than once, people had made fun of me for waking up, screaming and panting. Most of them had regretted it. But this night, I – luckily – only slept bad by mortal standards, which meant no nightmares about Tartarus or the two wars I'd been gone through. I 'just' had an uneasy feeling, and I woke up a couple of times, looking around frantically or reaching for my – nonexistent, Li had hid it from her friends – sword because I wasn't sure whether I could trust these guys. So, yeah, all in all, it was a pretty shitty night.

I woke up to the scent of bacon and coffee coming from the kitchen and wafting through the living room. It was long ago that I had woken up to the smell of breakfast. Like… eighty years? Before _mamma_ died. At Westover Hall, Camp Half-Blood, and at the boarding school and college I had attended – or was still attending, in case of the college – you had to walk to the mess hall – or dining pavilion, in case of Camp Half-Blood. A quick glance towards the clock told me that it was ten in the morning – midway through the morning, rather – and if my memory served me correctly, it was Saturday, which explained why there were people home at this time.

I unwrapped the blankets that were wrapped around my body and sat up. Through the open kitchen door, I could see the wannabe-mobster – or maybe Mel wanted to look like a punk? – make breakfast. It was fascinating to see the buff, intimidating man handle pans and spatulas like he hadn't done anything else all his life. He reminded me of Frank, a lot actually. Intimidating at first, but a kind and friendly person instead of the strong-and-stupid bully you'd expect them to be. I smiled at the thought. My sister and her to-be husband were by far the cutest couple I'd ever seen, exceeding even Jason and Piper's cuteness record. Annabeth and Percy were constantly bickering, and Leo and Calypso were constantly teasing each other or laugh at stupid puns and jokes (yeah… Leo hadn't changed at all), but my half-sister and the son of Mars were the epitome of this 'two halves of a whole'-saying.

Ray stepped into the living room, not noticing me at first. For the first time – yesterday, I had been too tired and too nervous to look closer at Li's flatmates – I got a closer look at him. He was tall, muscular, and good-looking in general. His face showed a relaxed expression, one that was evidence of his carefree life. One thing I envied many mortals of. His brown face was graced by a thin, black beard at his jawline, and his head was covered with short black, slightly curly hair. He wore a tanktop for a shirt, exposing his muscular arms. His whole expression screamed 'casual'. Had to be nice, a life without PTSD since the age of ten.

'I know that I'm a sight worth staring at, but I think you creep Mel out if you keep drooling over me.' Ray's voice jolted me out of my thoughts. I blushed – and the flush was bound to be visible on my pale cheeks – when I realised that I had been caught staring. Shit. Way to scare people off.

'Mind if I sit next to you?' Ray gestured towards an empty spot on the bed-couch. I shook my head, scooting away so he could sit down. Though I had absolutely no idea why he would want to sit down there. But it was – partially – his flat, so who would I be to deny him to sit wherever he wanted?

'Would you tell me a bit about you?' Ray asked. 'Of course, you don't have to if it makes you uncomfortable, but I'm curious.'

During the past years, I had learned to open up to people. But that didn't mean that it was easy. It had taken me more than one year to confide in Will and tell him my story. I had needed another six months before I had come out to Hazel. I had learned to keep my secrets to myself to _survive_ , and it was hard to fall out of this habit. Yet I didn't feel as uncomfortable as I had expected at this request. Now I just had to find a way to drop the whole demigod-thing without directly lying at Ray.

In the end, I settled for telling him that I had grown up in a very old-fashioned environment – if the past century wasn't old-fashioned, what was? I told him how I had discovered my feelings for my best friend – I mentioned that Percy had saved my life without going into details – and how I had hated him, and hated myself for my feelings that I had always been told were _wrong_ and a sin. I told him about the death of my sister in an accident – it had been one, after all. I mentioned that I had been in a lot of fights, to explain my scars – he might think that I mean fights in the school yard or whatever. I told him how Jason had been present when I had been forced to admit my sexuality, again editing the details out of the story while telling it. I told him how I had went to high school, what meant leaving my friends behind, how I had gotten accepted into college, together with one of my best friends and his boyfriend, and, eventually, how the asshole – what was his name? Calvin? – had appeared and bullied us until I had run away, ending up here. When I was finished, I was crying.

I had never opened up this much before. My family and friends – Hazel, Jason, Percy, Will – had witnessed some of this, or learned about some of these things, but I had never told one person all this. When I looked up, I saw that all three of my hosts stood and sat around me, their mouths open, tears glistening in the corners of their eyes. I didn't want their pity. And I flinched when Ray bent forward and hugged me. _Of course_ he was the touchy-feely kind of person, judging by his cheerful attitude. But I felt he was sincere. Both he and Li had assured me that he had went through, well, not the same, but had struggled with his sexuality as well. He was the closest to _understanding_ what I had experienced. And after I had tensed for a second at his touch, I hesitantly hugged him back.

After a few moments – none of us had let go – Li cleared her throat. She mumbled something about the food getting cold, and she and Mel walked towards the kitchen and closed the door behind them.

Gently, I freed myself from Ray's embrace. Suddenly, I realized how _close_ our bodies were, and promptly, the blood rushed into my cheeks, making me blush once again. To cover my embarrassment, I got out of bed and began to fold the covers.

'How about you tell me something about you in return while I get changed?' I suggested. Ray nodded., but didn't move.

'Um, could you, you know – turn around while I change?' I asked, the embarrassment instantly back. Ray flinched. 'oh, right. Sorry. I'm used to getting changed in Mel's presence and vice versa, what with us being best friends, so I forgot that it might make you uncomfortable.' He turned around. 'So, what do you want to know?'

I shrugged, even though he couldn't see it. 'Well, since I basically told you the story of my life, why don't you tell me yours?'

'Alright then.'


End file.
